Thursday, May 6, 2010

There are many experiences and items we have provided for our second set of children along the way. We have ensured their education. We have hauled them to concerts, plays, cultural enrichment events, scouts, grass in the yard, single home versus apartment or condo. If it even appeared good for them, we were on it, and they were in it.

Yet, somehow, we forgot to take the training wheels off the bikes.

We should have noticed last year, when they were riding with their knees and thighs out on either side. Belle did seem a bit uncomfortable, but with the Mister's illness the year before that, and moving, and the adoption, we never got around to purchasing and then teaching them to ride a two-wheel bicycle without training wheels. The bikes of three years ago just don't fit the children of today.

Santa Claus was wise enough to supply two dirt bikes this year.

He was also informed when he asked at the North Pole (wink, wink) in the bicycle department, that basically, girls ride the same bikes as boys when it comes to street bikes. Santa was eying a rather large, cumbersome lavender and pink bike, with a basket streamers on the handlebars. Santa was informed by the elf in the blue polo shirt that the bike Santa favored was for older women in their golden years, a nostalgia bicycle. If Santa was shopping for a girl in the 8-12 age bracket, it would be better if he looked at the fire red or sparkle indigo, low to the ground, the banana seat making its appearance from the 1960s, and no basket or bell. What was Santa to do? He took one of each, with matching helmets.

Both bikes and helmets were well-received Christmas morning. A few days later, they were moved to the garage. The bikes have stayed in the garage until warmer weather. And now warmer weather is here.

"We have perfectly good bikes in the garage, and can't ride them." complained Baby.

"I can get a wrench and take the training wheels off the old bikes, and put them on the new bikes " volunteered Belle.

So, with the Mister enjoying a rare day off, we are off to right this wrong in a local parking lot that is basically unused all day. He will hold up each bike, as he did for the kids' elder brother and sister, who used to be their uncle and mother. After we are sure they can handle it, we will allow them to gradually, week by week, expand their traveling boundaries, until they are free to explore the subdivision.